Let Sunnis have stake in Iraq, Blair to urge Bush

Flagging support . . . A protester on top of the palace gate. Photo: AFP

The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, will use President George Bush's visit to London this week to urge him to adopt a new broad-ranging "Sunni Strategy" in Iraq in an attempt to drain support from pro-Saddam Hussein gunmen.

The new policy would allow Saddam's former ruling Baath party to reopen and compete in elections. It would also include economic and political incentives for the once dominant Sunnis, who make up a quarter of the population. A majority of Iraqis are Shiites.

As peace demonstrations got under way in London and police tightened security, Mr Blair dismissed anti-war protesters' criticism of Mr Bush's unprecedented four-day state visit, during which he will stay in Buckingham Palace.

Mr Bush was to arrive at Heathrow Airport late last night (this morning Sydney time) and be met by Prince Charles before flying by helicopter to the palace.

Mr Bush was invited to London by the Queen - on Mr Blair's advice - two years ago, well in advance of the invasion of Iraq.

"I just want to say how strongly I believe that it is indeed the right time for the President of the United States to come here," Mr Blair told a convention.

"This is the right moment for us to stand firm with the United States of America in defeating terrorism, wherever it is, and delivering us safely from what I genuinely believe to be the security threat of the 21st century."

The situation in Iraq, which will be the main topic of conversation between the two leaders, has provoked anti-war protests expected to bring out more than 60,000 demonstrators.

In the biggest security operation ever mounted in Britain for a visiting head of state, Scotland Yard said it would have 14,000 police officers on the capital's streets, nearly three times the normal complement.

As police made their final security preparations, a lone protester scaled the front gate at Buckingham Palace and unfurled an upside-down US flag bearing the message: "He's not welcome." Hanging the flag upside down is a symbol of distress.

Officers cordoned off the area and the woman climbed down after about two hours perched on top of the gate.

Mr Bush earlier addressed the protesters in interviews from Washington, saying they were lucky to live in a country "where people are free to say anything".

Talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are also likely to be on the agenda, as will US steel tariffs, which have prompted fears of a trans-Atlantic trade war.

In Baghdad, Mr Blair's envoy, Jeremy Greenstock, admitted on Monday that the security situation in Iraq "might still get worse". He suggested that simply increasing the use of US firepower would not solve the problem.

Instead, Mr Blair and Mr Bush would have to plan an all-embracing response when they met during the President's visit.

Sir Jeremy said the attacks against American and coalition forces were mostly being carried out by Saddam loyalists, so the political response must concentrate on drawing away supporters from within Saddam's Sunni heartland.

This would be a radical departure for the coalition, which has relied heavily on political support from Kurds, Shiites and Iraqi exiles, to create the embryo of a future government.

But Sir Jeremy said the allies had to "ensure that the Sunni heartland has a political stake in the future of Iraq" and practise "positive discrimination" towards Sunnis in allocating economic aid.

Sir Jeremy was also at pains to point out that Sunnis were not all supporters of Saddam.